The UK Paraplanning community is mourning the loss of one of its brightest stars, Gary Tunstall FPFS CFP^TM, who died last weekend at the age of 41 after a long battle with stomach cancer.

Mr Tunstall’s funeral will take place tomorrow (Friday) in Yorkshire. He had a long and illustrious career in Financial Planning, winning a number of awards including Paraplanner of the Year in 2011. Most recently he worked for Cavendish Medical, a specialist Financial Planning firm in London which helps doctors and medical professionals. He was promoted to be the firm’s first ever Head of Financial Planning.

Mr Tunstall was known for his wit, dry sense of humour, enthusiasm for Paraplanning and helping colleagues. For his funeral he requested that guests should not be sad and could wear hoodies and trainers, some of his favourite clothes. The funeral will take place in Harrogate where he spent his last 25 days at a local hospice near his family and friends.

Prior to working for Cavendish, he worked at Cathi Harrison’s Para-Sols, an outsourced Paraplanning business based in Darlington. At Para-Sols he was instrumental in helping the company grow rapidly. Staff there have named their rest area the ‘Tunstall Arms’ in his honour.

He attended the University of Kent where he graduated with a BA in Political Science and Government, going on to take an MA in the same subject. He then joined Inter-Alliance in 2000 as a Paraplanner. He had a long career working as a Paraplanner for a number of Financial Planning firms including Brook-Dobson Brear, Origen Financial Services, Circle Financial Services and Moorgate House.

Colleagues at Cavendish Medical have been left bereft and saddened by Mr Tunstall’s loss. He went on extended medical leave at the end of 2016 and colleagues held a ‘Gary Day’ when he left to thank him for his contribution to the company and to wish him well, not knowing if he would return. 

Caption: L-R Gary and colleagues Edward Bushnell enjoying 'Gary Day' 

Edward Bushnell, director of Cavendish Medical and a friend and colleague of Mr Tunstall’s, said: “Gary was appointed as Cavendish’s first ever Head of Financial Planning at the end of 2013, acting as both a mentor to our Paraplanning team and a business workflow manager for our Financial Planners.

“In 2014, he was instrumental in helping the business to its best ever year, and successfully appointed new members of staff to his team. Gary was about as qualified as you could get by the time he arrived at Cavendish (FPFS CFP^TM, Paraplanner of the Year 2011 and many more) and used this to help coach other staff and improve qualifications across the company. He also gave up the glory of completing the Three Peaks Challenge in 2015 to drive us around the UK instead, making the whole thing possible.

“Its difficult to sum Gary up really – his interests were eclectic to say the least. Outside of the usual – football – he also followed many American sports and collected comics and Lego (including Lego Batman). We were lucky enough to celebrate his 40th birthday with him, which represented both sides of his personality – ten pin bowling followed by burgers and the World Cup! His general knowledge was also second to none – claiming African capital cities as his weakness but still knowing far many more than the rest of us put together.

“The office was always louder when he was around, he was a talker and had plenty to talk about – on occasion something relevant to financial services – and he was always concerned with the best interest of clients as well as his team. Since the onset of his illness he has been sorely missed.”

He joined Para-Sols in February 2012 where he soon made a big impact on the company and colleagues. Para-Sols founder Cathi Harrison FPFS counted him as a personal friend and much respected colleague.

She said: “Gary was a close friend and former colleague. We met initially when we were both Paraplanners at a firm in Harrogate, where he took me under his wing, showed me the reports and helped me greatly develop my Paraplanning skills. His dry sense of humour and unique way of looking at the world meant we also became friends outside of the office.

“We remained friends after I left the firm and a couple of years later I was delighted when he came to work with me at Para-Sols. It is no exaggeration to say that he had a huge part to play in helping shape Para-Sols to be the company it is today. He was, without a doubt, one of the brightest Paraplanners I ever met, winning Paraplanner awards and being the fount of knowledge for all our questions. He also brought the office to tears of laughter on an almost daily basis.

“After Para-Sols he moved to London to further develop his career, working as a Paraplanning manager and meeting his lovely girlfriend Tina. It was here that he sadly was diagnosed with stomach cancer which he fought bravely for 18 months. He has two young children who will grow up to know how wonderful their dad was, how smart, and funny and how grateful I, and everyone else who knew him, were to have been a part of his life.”

Caption: Gary and colleagues from Para-Sols on a sports day

Mr Tunstall leaves a partner Tina, ex-wife Fiona and two children, Fraser, 10, and Alice, 8.

A fund raising page has been set up in Mr Tunstall’s memory to raise funds for the hospice which cared for him in his last weeks. The JustGiving page dedicated to raising funds for the hospice is at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/garytunstall

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